


Despoina

by underoriginal



Category: Greek and Roman Mythology
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-30
Updated: 2014-07-30
Packaged: 2018-02-11 02:35:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2050143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/underoriginal/pseuds/underoriginal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"the gods fulfilled his curse, even Zeus of the nether world and dread Persephone." -The Iliad of Homer</p>
            </blockquote>





	Despoina

persephone comes to the underworld sobbing inconsolably for her mother

persephone eats the pomegranate seeds because she’s so painfully hungry and she things it might fill the hollow in her heart

persephone endures the days by hades’ side because they’ll end and she will see the sun again

persephone finds another soul, wandering, just as lost as herself

persephone comforts the soul, befriends it, gives it some small measure of hope

persephone finds herself missing her new friend during the summer months, almost wishes winter would come faster

persephone meets more and more souls and they grow to love her, reaching out to her like her mother’s flowers reach for the sun

hades sees and tells persephone she is becoming the queen of the dead in truth

persephone smiles for the first time in years, and her smile lights up the underworld

while hades is gone on business, he leaves her in charge, gives her a steward’s chair next to his, not as grand, but hardly insignificant

their people come and worship her and she starts thinking it’s not such a bad life

she begins to weary of the months of stifling heat and attention, surrounded by well-wishers and smothered by her mother’s futile attempts to protect her

secure in his rule, hades ventures further and further for longer and longer, knowing his queen protects his realm

persephone wanders the pomegranate trees to pluck only the ripest fruit for her servants, longing to feast herself

on earth, a soldier dies on the battlefield and gives his oath of fealty to the beautiful and terrible lady who greets him on the banks of the Styx

more battles rage and more soldiers die and persephone assembles a guard for herself

hades smiles indulgently when he meets them and name them the queen’s guard

the summer days seem like eternities and the winter months like seconds

hades leaves for all of winter, bringing only cerberus for company

he returns to find persephone on his throne, arrayed in armor, surrounded by guards, pomegranate juice dripping down her chin

hades bows down

the queen of the underworld laughs and lets him kiss her hand


End file.
